Luka Modric, the 39-year-old Real Madrid midfielder and Croatian national team captain, has just taken his first step into football ownership by buying a minority stake in Swansea City.
He’s still under contract at Madrid until the end of the season, but this move shows he’s already thinking about life beyond the pitch. Modric said what drew him in was the exciting opportunity Swansea offers, along with the club’s strong identity, loyal fans, and big ambitions. He’s hoping to share his experience and help the club grow.
“Swansea has a strong identity, an incredible fanbase, and the ambition to compete at the highest level,” he said.
Swansea’s currently sitting mid-table in the Championship—12th place—but they’ve been picking up steam since Alan Sheehan took over as caretaker head coach in February. Since then, they’ve earned 17 points in nine games and look a lot sharper. There’s a good chance Sheehan gets the job full-time.
Modric is joining a team already going through a few changes behind the scenes. Tom Gorringe, who used to be at Bristol Rovers, has stepped in as the new CEO, and Richard Montague came from Notts County to take over as director of football.
In a statement, Swansea called Modric’s arrival a big vote of confidence in where the club is headed. They see his involvement as a way to boost the club’s profile on a global level and push forward both on and off the field.
This move doesn’t mean Modric is ready to hang up his boots just yet. He still wants to play at the top level, ideally sticking around at Real Madrid and leading Croatia into the 2026 World Cup. But that might depend on who’s managing Madrid next season.
For now, though, he’s focused on both playing and building something new with Swansea. He’s even expected to feature in Real’s attempt to stage a comeback against Arsenal in the Champions League this week at the Bernabéu.
